Wilmer Valderrama Biography: In His Own Words – Video Exclusive, News, Photos

Wilmer Valderrama Biography

Wilmer Valderrama was born January 30, 1980 in Miami, Fla., to Sobeida (née Arias) and Balbino A. Valderrama, who owned a farm equipment rental company. Valderrama has two sisters, Marilyn and Stephanie, and a brother, Christian. From three to 13, Valderrama and family lived in Venezuela, before moving to Los Angeles.

It was in high school that Valderrama became interested in acting. He appeared both in school plays and local revivals. It was at a teacher’s suggestion that he get an agent and act professionally. Not long after hiring an agent, Valderrama on both CBS and the Disney Channel in Four Corners and Omba Mokomba

Wilmer Valderrama in That 70s Show

Valderrama was a senior in high school when he shot the pilot for That 70s Show. The series ended up becoming a huge hit, launching his career as well as the careers of Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. Valderrama, however, portrayed Fez the foreign exchange student, who became the breakout character of the show, and stayed on the series for the entire eight year run, making it one of Fox’s longest running sitcoms. During the run, Valderrama won three Teen Choice Awards for Best Sidekick in 2003, 2005 and 2006. He was also nominated for an ALMA award five times and a Young Artist award in 1999.

Wilmer Valderrama Filmography

When That 70s Show ended in 2006, Valderrama had difficulty landing new roles. He had been typecast a bit as the goofy foreign sidekick. He would make sporadic appearances in films like Fast Food Nation and shows like Suburgatory, Men at Work and The Sopranos, sometimes doing voiceover work as well for The Cleveland Show, Robot Chicken and the Scarface video game. He hosted a show on MTV called Yo Momma but it was cancelled after three seasons.

In 2012, however, Valderrama returned to television for the first time in six years as a regular cast member, only this time it was for a drama series called Awake. The series was created by Kyle Killen, and Valderrama costarred along Jason Isaacs, Laura Allen, Hannah Britten, Steve Harris, BD Wong, and Cherry Jones. Unfortunately, the high concept series only lasted one season, despite the many positive reviews.

Valderrama had surprised critics in his turn as Detective Efram Vega. Not only was this far from his sitcom roots, but Valderrama was unrecognizable physically as well. He shaved off most of his hair, grew a goatee, gained weight, and was more muted in his acting, as opposed to the broader, louder character of Fez from That 70s Show. He was praised for his work over the first and only season, with critics repeatedly noting they didn’t recognize him at first.

Valderrama has appeared in numerous other television shows, such as NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, and Grey’s Anatomy. 

Wilmer Valderrama Dating History

Valderrama is known as a lothario in Hollywood. He’s famously been linked with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ariana Richards, Mischa Barton, Mila Kunis, Avril Lavigne, Minka Kelly, Allison Munn, Ashlee Simpson, Mandy Moore and Lindsay Lohan (the latter two he claimed to have take the virginity of during an interview with Howard Stern). He also famously dated Demi Lovato, who wrote a song about the actor after they broke up entitled “29,” which called out the age gap between herself and Valderrama.

In 2020, Valderrama got engaged to Amanda Pacheco, and the couple gave birth to a daughter in February 2021.

Wilmer Valderrama From Dusk Till Dawn

It was announced in 2013 that Valderrama had been cast in the television remake of the cult-hit From Dusk Till Dawn film, originally by Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Kurtzman. The series premiered in early 2014, to positive reviews. Valderrama’s series co-stars are DJ Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Jake Busey, Don Johnson and Robert Patrick.

Valderrama’s role as Carlos Madrigal was vastly different than he was used to playing. Madrigal is one of the chief antagonists on the series, something that Valderrama was excited to play.

Wilmer Valderrama Interview

Valderrama sat with uInterview to discuss the From Dusk Till Dawn reboot, which will begin filming for its second season in October.

“Robert’s directing, and to see Quentin Tarantino’s characters come to life on television, is exciting,” Valderrama told uInterview exclusively. “And to be a bad guy, I’m one of the main bad guys in the whole series in the universe of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, is just so exciting.”

Valderrama also touched upon what it’s like to play a villain effectively. In order to do so, Valderrama decided to start training, and he discussed his workout regimen. “I’m working out twice a day, and I’m eating like six times a day and eating crazy amounts of protein,” Valderrama revealed. “I’m not doing it alone though, I’m doing it with my trainer Ronny Camacho who’s one of the best trainers in town.… Ronny has this crazy regimen: we workout at 7 a.m., and we workout at 7 p.m. right when I come home from the office.”